[LMka]

According to your requirements I guess Hifiman 603 has the good attack, aggresivness, richness etc. I have no idea why have you bought this Fiio x3-ii. This is new low tier dap while HM-603 is so cheap because it out of production. It was retail at 250-399 dollars depending on version back in 2011. Dont get dx50, it is basically the same **** as fiio x3-ii.

 

[Blazer39]

i have to say..im not that impressed with fiio x3ii either, its a good DAP however sometime i feel the original fiio x3 sounds fuller and richer, i should A/B them to be sure.
 
one thing for certain, the exclusion of hardware EQ in fiio x3ii is definitely a downgrade, is there anyway to update it in new firmware?

 

[derGabe]

I dont think that the Shure SRH440 is the Problem. Thats a great headphone with a pretty neutral tuning that sounds good on pretty much any source.

 

[lostpapers]

I must say that I completely understand why you might be a bit disappointed
 
I personnally own a Fiio X1 and a Fiio X3 II. My headphones are : Phonak Audeo PFE112 IEM, Hifiman RE400 waterline, Sennheiser CX300 and CX400-II and AKG K242 HD.
 
I have also tried different headphones thanks to some friends and in some cases shops where headphones are available for testing.
 
I really think through my tests that the X3-II provides a really good sound. For each headphone I've tried, I could clearly pinpoint its qualities regarding its signature, which means that to obtain a great sound for any user, the coupling between DAC and headphones is necessarily different.
 
 
 
Here are some personal impressions of the X3-II with different headphones, using no EQ whatsoever
 
Hifiman RE400 (iem): Almost neutral, with a slight layback of medium frequency, making the vocals a little veiled for my taste. However, sound on lows and highs is of excellent quality. Highs sometime induce some sibilance, but this is sporadic
 
Sennheiser CX-300/400: This is strange how this iems see their signatures emphasized. Bass become extremely heavy, almost hiding all the other frequency.
 
PFE-112 (iem): famous for their high sound quality at a decent price. With grey filter, the sound is almost perfect. Tight bass, vocals and mediums are not recessed and highs are brights and detailed. However, highs are a little too bright, inducung some fatigue after some time.
 
Focal Spirit Pro: Excellent neutral sounf with perfectly placed frequencies. Too bad I'm not a fan of "closed" headphones
 
AKG K-242: This headphone is really excellent for me, when connected to a Marantz amp. However with the X3-II even with High gain, something is amiss. I almost got a perfect sound by attenuating some frequencies trough the EQ
 
 
 
For the moment my favorite coupling is X3-II + PFE-112 (grey filters), though quality of high frequency induces me some weariness after some time. I think I still have to find a better headphone to really be 100% satisfied by my X3-II on a long listening session. However, when my hearing is fine and I'm completely rested, listening to the X3-II+PFE-112 is really a bliss. So, like you, I am somewhat a bit disappointed
 
I mentioned the X1 before. I must say that my first contact with the X1 was far more satisfying than with the X3. I'll have to take some time to understand why.
 
 
So, clearly, I love the X3-II and I really hope I will be able to fight to perfect headphone to use with it as the potential of the DAP is tremendous in my own opinion

 

[JWolf]

  I keep looking at an upgrade to my J3, I look at a Dx90 or Fiio X5. For the life of me I cant decide if they would be an upgrade at all in SQ. I have read most of the info about those players.

I know this is an oldish thread, but since I recently acquired an X3II, I'll put in my 2 cents.
 
I have a J3 as well as an X3II. The J3 is good, but not great. The J3 has rolled off highs and unless you have headphones/earbuds that have a bright top end, the J3 can sound dull. I use the J3 with the EQ on in order to counteract the high-end roll off.
 
With the X3II I do not need to use the EQ. Also, the XII can be used with higher resolution music and as a USB DAC. The X3II is better sounding than most on board sound cards. The X3II has an overal better sound with more detail, more midrange, and better high-end.
 
The J3 has battery life, it lighter and smaller, and for most people would be just fine. I like the sound of the X3II better. My portable (out and about) headphones are the Koss Portapro and the X3II is a better fit.

 

[Watagump]

 
I know this is an oldish thread, but since I recently acquired an X3II, I'll put in my 2 cents.
 
I have a J3 as well as an X3II. The J3 is good, but not great. The J3 has rolled off highs and unless you have headphones/earbuds that have a bright top end, the J3 can sound dull. I use the J3 with the EQ on in order to counteract the high-end roll off.
 
With the X3II I do not need to use the EQ. Also, the XII can be used with higher resolution music and as a USB DAC. The X3II is better sounding than most on board sound cards. The X3II has an overal better sound with more detail, more midrange, and better high-end.
 
The J3 has battery life, it lighter and smaller, and for most people would be just fine. I like the sound of the X3II better. My portable (out and about) headphones are the Koss Portapro and the X3II is a better fit.

 
Its funny that in the audio world 3 months can be an oldish thread. Its kinda like how fast cell phones and new computer stuff comes out. During this time, I have upgraded both my CIEM'S and player. DX90 which has slightly better clarity over the J3, also now using my K10's. I am not done though, now I am looking to upgrade from the DX90, tested the new Questyle players on Sat. I am looking to try and test an AK to see which of those I would like better. I used the EQ with my J3, the DX90 and Questyle players were both used neutrally.

 

[RobSys]

I just bought an X3ii + iBasso D14 to go with the Westone W30 IEM's I bought a few weeks ago... I won't bore you with my auditory assessments as my aged and (seriously) dilapidated ears are probably worthless to most of you... To me though the combo sounds excellent for a wide variety of (hd) music.
 
See my comments in the D14 forum about connection/wiring issues though... A painful quandary...

 

[TSpoon1313]

I know the feeling of being let down after reading all the hype over the x3ii And x1. The low end response from these players while using headphones is horrendous. I only use them for the line out..

 

[JWolf]

I know the feeling of being let down after reading all the hype over the x3ii And x1. The low end response from these players while using headphones is horrendous. I only use them for the line out..

 
Have you ever listened to music played fairly neutral without coloration that could increase t,he bass level artificially? What you are hearing is fairly neutral sound. You may be used to other players and/or headphones that color the sound to give you a louder bass.

 

[TSpoon1313]

   
Have you ever listened to music played fairly neutral without coloration that could increase t,he bass level artificially? What you are hearing is fairly neutral sound. You may be used to other players and/or headphones that color the sound to give you a louder bass

Yeah I understand the concept. I also know that artist don't intend their music to lack any kind of dynamics when being listened to . I would assume during the mixing process that would be useful but when listening to the finished product for entertainment I don't get the point.

 

[JWolf]

  Yeah I understand the concept. I also know that artist don't intend their music to lack any kind of dynamics when being listened to . I would assume during the mixing process that would be useful but when listening to the finished product for entertainment I don't get the point.

 
Have you heard of the loudness wars? LOTS of recordings are being made with a serious lack of dynamics. Also, a lot of older recordings are being remastered such that they dynamics are being seriously squashed. Also, a lot of recordings are being bushed the the 0db limit and in some cases exceeding this enough to distort. So really, you do need to find good quality recordings to be able to test your X3II with to find out how it really sounds.

 

[catspaw]

Personally I tested the iBasso DX50 and a Fiio M3 and X1. I own an cowon i9 and It needs replacement since I broke the Amoled screen.
After some testing (With an E12 amp and both HE-400 and HD600) I have to say I might buy another cowon i9.
 
I just like too much the EQ options in the Cowon. My only problem with the cowon i9 is that its small capacity is not expandable.

 

[TSpoon1313]

Personally I tested the iBasso DX50 and a Fiio M3 and X1. I own an cowon i9 and It needs replacement since I broke the Amoled screen.
After some testing (With an E12 amp and both HE-400 and HD600) I have to say I might buy another cowon i9.

I just like too much the EQ options in the Cowon. My only problem with the cowon i9 is that its small capacity is not expandable.

the sony walkman a25 is pretty awesome. It's also has a lot of eq options and 128gb sd card.

 

[danmlr]

  Personally I tested the iBasso DX50 and a Fiio M3 and X1. I own an cowon i9 and It needs replacement since I broke the Amoled screen.
After some testing (With an E12 amp and both HE-400 and HD600) I have to say I might buy another cowon i9.
 
I just like too much the EQ options in the Cowon. My only problem with the cowon i9 is that its small capacity is not expandable.

I'm not familiar with the Cowon EQ options. What is the appeal? I have a Fiio E6 amp, and never use the bass boost feature. I like the iTunes EQ but find that I tend to use it mainly with IEM's, since they tend to have odd sound signatures. Ultimately, I wind up avoiding using IEM's except in very noisy environments for the noise isolation.